Non-refillable-bottle stopper.



J. H. GRUVER NGN-REFILLABLE BOTTLE STOPPER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1912. RENEWED JUNE 10, 1914. 1 g 1 1 a Patented July 21, 1914 lllllllli' INVEPTED Dos-mow UPRIGHT POSITION 7729 Graver;

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" in srn s Para ,aosnrn HARRY enuvnn, or nerrrnonn, MARFZLAND, ASSIGNOE or oneness :ro FRANCIS nonnis, an, or nnsrnnuno, Mani inane.

NON-REFILLABLE-BOTTLE STOPPER.

ioinai.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Jlniy 21, 121 1.

Application filed May 20, 1912, Serial No. 698,555. Renewed June 10, 1914; Serial No. 844,362.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that T, Josnrrr HARRY Gnuvnn, citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Non-Refillable-Bottle Stoppers, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention is an improvement over that disclosed in application for Let- "Ito ters Patent of the United States No. 658,563,

of November 4, 1911, and in some particulars the present application is a continuation of my former application.

in carrying out my present invention I aim to provide a stopper which may be readily and securely afiixed within the bottle neck by a simple operation.

The invention consists in the features and combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly defined by the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a vertical section of a portion of the bottle upright and with my invention in place; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the bottle inverted; Figs. 3, i, 5 and 6 are views of the parts composing my stopper.

In these drawings, 1 indicates a sleeve to be affixed within the bottle neck, said sleeve so forming a fixed seat for the sliding valve member 2, which is of substantially cylindrical form and is provided with a cover portion 3 having a flange 4 to seat itself upon the seat or shoulder 5 of the fixed seat member 1. The sliding valve member immediately below the cover portion is provided with lateral openings 6, and at the lower end of this sliding valve member a valve seat is provided for a ball valve 7. This seat consists of a ring which is held frictionally upon the outer side of the cylindrical sliding valve member 2, it having a bottom portion 9 with an opening at its center, the rim around said opening forming a seat for the ball valve. The ring 8 may be slightly pressed into the metal of the sliding valve member 2 to be securely held thereon. Within the sliding valve member a pronged member 10 is frictionally held and retained Ed by the ball valve seat member 9. This pronged. member consists of a ring portion having arms 11 projecting up therefrom, which arms, at their upper ends, have inwardly extending points or fingers 12. These points or fingers are located just below the lower edge of the lateral openings 6. The fixed seat member 1 is formed with an exterior shoulder 13, and. around the fixed seat member below this shoulder a gasket or washer of cork 14: is arranged, so this bearing upon the wall of the bottle neck. The bottle neck is formed with a groove at 15 and with a slight shoulder at 16. The metal of the fixed seat member 1 is thin enough to enable its upper edge to 85 be pressed or spun outwardly into the groove 15 when the device is pushed down into the bottle neck to the position illustrated, resting with its exterior shoulder 13 on the shoulder of the bottle neck. When the metal of the fixed seat member is pressed outwardly into the groove, the device will be held securely in the bottle neck against removal or displacement. The fixed seat member 1 and the sliding valve member and also the ball valve seat member may be formed by a drawing process of the metal.

In the operation of the device it will be observed that when the bottle is upright, as in Fig. 1, the sliding valve members will be seated and also the ball 7, and any attempt to fill the bottle will be frustrated, and this will be true also if the bottle is tipped to various angular positions. It will be impossible also to remove the valves from their seats by the introduction of a wire or other instrument. 3 When the bottle is inverted into the position shown in Fig. 2 or any angular position with the bottle mouth directed downwardly, the sliding valve will fall until the rim 8 strikes the lower edge of the fixed seat member, and 1 at this time the openings 6 in the sliding valve member will be uncovered for the outflow of the fluid therethrough, and at the same time the ball valve will leave its seat and will be caught by the stops 12 on the pronged member 10, and will be held elevated in respect to that portion of the sliding valve member which is lowermost and substantially at a point above the lateral openings 6. As there are openings between the prongs 11, the fluid will flow between these prongs down alongside of the ball valve and thence out through the openings 6.

The pronged member may be formed in one piece or it may be formed in a-flat piec and rolled up in ring form, the joint betweeyn its ends being indicated in Fig. 5 at l.

Any suitable form of machine may be employed for pressing the rim of the fixed seat member 1 into the groove of the bottle neck. The exterior shoulder on the fixed seat member serves to push the washer or cork down will be closed when the bottle is placed in a horizontal position if pressure is placed upon the device or it is attempted to pass fluid through it into the bottle, for it will be observed that the prongs on the interior of the sliding valve member direct the ball to the lower opening. By having the movement of the ball limited to stop substantially at the edge of the opening 6, any fluid which seeks to enter the bottle must first strike the ball and exert pressure thereon to take it to its seat, and this action will take place before the sliding valve member begins to move. The flow from my stopper takes place directly from the valve itself, and not through any extension of the stopper or through a cage. When the stopper is closed it presents substantially an unbroken upper closure, and it will not be necessary to place a cork in the bottle neck after each use of the bottle, and the top of my valve acts as a stopper and protects the contents'from the atmosphere or from the inlet of any extraneous matter. Dispensing with the use of an ordinary cork is also of advantage from a hygienic standpoint, as such corks are often in unclean condition.

The upper edge of the sliding valve member may be turned inwardly at the opening to act as a guard against the insertion of a wire.

It will be observed that my stopper has no cage or top above the upper closure or valve seat, and therefore, the sliding member is accessible so that should this stick to its seat because of the collection of any gummy substance it may be readily loosened by applying a turning pressure thereto. This would not be possible if an inclosing cage or other covering part were employed above the upper valve.

I claim as my invention 1. In combination with a bottle having a single groove in its neck, a fixed seat member consisting of a metallic shell, a sliding member movable in the fixed seat member and having a cover portion at one end with lateral openings below said cover portion and having also a central opening at its opposite end with a ball valve closing said opening, said fixed seat member having an interior shoulder furnishing a seat for the cover portion and having a rim of larger diameter than the diameter ofthe sliding member, which rim terminates in a flange extending laterally into the groove in the bottle neck, said cover portion and groove being in substantially thesame plane when the stopper is open, substantially as described. i

2. A non-refillable bottle stopper comprising a fixed seat member, a sliding valve member movable therein having a cover portion with lateral openings below the same and a central opening, a ball valve to engage the central opening, and a pronged member held in the sliding valve member, the prongs of which have stops to limit the movement of the ball to a point removed from the lateral openings, substantially as described.

3. In combination a fixed seat member, a sliding valve member therein having a cover portion and having lateral openings over which the said cover projects and with the .edgesof said openings turned inwardly, and a ball valve closing the lower end of the sliding valve member, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH HARRY GRUVER.

Witnesses J. WM. SHEFFER. E. C. O. MANDEN.

Copies 01' this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the (Jommissioner of Patents. Washington, :0. C. 

